Arrest of woman by Nunavik police reflects disturbing attitude towards Inuit, advocates say

CBC
Thu, August 1, 2024 

Nancianne Grey is the executive director of Saturviit Inuit Women’s Association of Nunavik. (Submitted by Saturviit - image credit)


Nunavik's Inuit Women's Association says the way police dealt with an arrest in Salluit last month reflects a growing disconnect between the police service and the Inuit communities they serve.

A video of the incident on July 18 shows a woman being pulled out of her car window, and into police custody, all while witnesses yell, "she's having a seizure".

Nancianne Grey, Saturviit's executive director, said she understands the woman had allegedly committed some crimes, but outside of that, the video shows a disturbing attitude toward the Inuk woman.


"It's evident that she's having a seizure, and they still didn't look like they cared," she said.

"There seems to be more and more of a gap between the police services and Inuit in the villages."

The 24-year-old woman at the centre of the incident faces a range of charges, including impaired driving, car theft, and assaulting a police officer.

Her lawyer declined to comment.

Quebec's Bureau of Independent Investigations said it is investigating the incident, which is protocol whenever a complaint of criminal nature about a police officer is laid by a person who is First Nations or Inuit.

Relationship between Inuit and police

From conversations she's had with people across Nunavik, Grey said the consensus is that police officers nowadays aren't as connected to the communities they serve.

The Nunavik Police Service (NPS) has undergone several structural changes over the past few decades. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Kativik Regional Police Force, and before 1995, policing was done by the provincial service, the Sûreté du Québec.

Footage from the video circulating on social media shows an officer pulling the woman out of the car window and onto the ground.

Footage from the video circulating on social media shows an officer pulling the woman out of the car window and onto the ground. (Submitted by Padli Ilisituk)

"The Kativik Regional Police Force used to be more friendly with locals. There was more friendship and respect. At least that's what I felt 15 years ago," Grey said.

She said officers back then were generally older and more experienced, whereas officers with the NPS now don't usually stick around in Nunavik's communities for long.

"They have a different way of responding to violent situations from what I've seen in the past," she said.

Only two of 111 officers with the NPS are Inuit. NPS said a third Inuk officer is currently in training.

Grey said there are barriers for Inuit to become police officers, including personal ones, like the moral conflict of being part of the police service.

Building trust with the community

To build trust with Inuit communities, Grey is calling for more cultural training for new police recruits, as well as regular psychological checkups for all officers.

"The calls that they have to make are not easy. There's trauma both on the victims and the perpetrators," she said.

"I'm sure [the officers] are also affected by these violent traumas."

A Nunavik Police Service vehicle in Kuujjuaq, Que.

A Nunavik Police Service vehicle in Kuujjuaq, Que., under the previous name of the Kativik Regional Police Force. (Olivier Plante/Radio-Canada)

NPS deputy chief Jean-François Morin said all new recruits must undergo 12 hours of online cultural training, prior to moving to Nunavik. It's also bringing back a cadet program to try to recruit youth into the police service.

The 2019 Viens Commission report into the strained relationship between the Quebec Public Service and Indigenous communities in the province made 142 calls for action.

Thirteen were about police services, but as of October 2023, only five had been acted on.

Morin said the police service is continuing to work with all levels of government to meet all the remaining recommendations.

During the inquiry the Kativik Regional Police Force, NPS's predecessor, made submissions about the service being chronically underfunded and understaffed.

Morin said the NPS is set to sign a renegotiated funding agreement with the provincial and federal governments by the end of September.

Turkey blocks NATO-Israel cooperation over Gaza war, sources say

Thu, August 1, 2024


Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the alliance at a NATO event, in Washington


By Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has blocked cooperation between NATO and Israel since October because of the war in Gaza and said the alliance should not engage with Israel as a partner until there is an end to the conflict, sources familiar with the process said.

Israel carries the status of NATO partner and has fostered close relations with the military alliance and some of its members, notably its biggest ally the United States.


Prior to Israel's offensive in Gaza - prompted by Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage - NATO member Turkey had been working to mend its long-strained ties with Israel.

Since then, Ankara has been fiercely critical of Israel's operation in Gaza, which it says amounts to a genocide, and has halted all bilateral trade. It has also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said Turkey had vetoed all NATO engagement with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises, viewing Israel's "massacre" of Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of NATO's founding principles.

A U.N. inquiry in June found that both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war. It said Israel's actions constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense civilian losses. Israel rejects this and says its operation in Gaza, which has killed nearly 40,000 people, aims to eradicate Hamas.

The sources said Turkey would maintain this block and not allow Israel to continue or advance its interaction with NATO until there was an end to the conflict, as it believes Israel's actions in Gaza violate international law and universal human rights.

After a NATO summit in Washington in July, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said it was not possible for NATO to continue its partnership with the Israeli administration.

Earlier this week, Israel's foreign minister urged the alliance to expel Turkey after Erdogan appeared to threaten to enter Israel, as it had Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh in the past.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Christina Fincher)

Turkey's rogue behavior under Erdogan: NATO must act before it's too late

Opinion by DAN PERRY • JERUSALEM POST 

TURKEY’S PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a press briefing during NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington, last month. He has written the textbook on how to mutate into an authoritarian regime, the writer says.

© (photo credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

It has become increasingly evident that Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a rogue nation within NATO, a Trojan Horse for the Iran-embracing Axis of Resistance in the Western alliance. The Turkish president has flirted with Russia, sabotaged NATO expansion, aggressed neighbors, and destroyed his country’s developing democracy.

After Erdogan’s threat, this week, to invade Israel, crossing a major line, NATO must read him the riot act.

The threat of entering Israel in defense of Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah, delivered at a meeting of his AK Party, should not be misread as bluster. It is a calculated escalation from the playbook of hubristic tyrants: As a sense of impunity sets in, they gamble, often recklessly – as with Adolf Hitler’s calamitous 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union.

An actual Turkish invasion right now is extremely unlikely, but that should not blind the world to the reality that, were a regional to erupt with Israel and its allies vs Iran and its proxies around the Middle East, Turkey would align itself with the enemies of the West.

That Erdogan even openly flirts with such a posture is the result of acquiescence to his broad palate of misdeeds over his 21 years of misrule of an important country with 85 million inhabitants. A quick summation may shock anyone who has not been paying close attention.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad, Iraq April 22, 2024. (credit: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoTurkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad, Iraq April 22, 2024. (credit: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)

IT IS important to note that when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established in 1949, it was assumed that member states would be democratic and peaceful. The principles underlying the project emphasized democratic values, collective security, the rule of law, individual liberties, and peaceful resolution of disputes.

Turkey was nobody’s model for much, but it was moving in the direction of such principles until 2003, when Erdogan won enough parliamentary seats to make him prime minister. He then proceeded to write the textbook on how to mutate into an authoritarian regime whose only democratic element is elections – which can be manipulated.

Thousands of journalists, judges, and generals are in jail, as well as high-profile politicians from opposition parties. Many academics and civil society activists have been detained or dismissed. Divisive rhetoric has been deployed, with skill, to marginalize Kurds, Armenians, and other minorities. Erdogan has made Islam far more prominent in public life, alienating secularists and minorities and badly rattling the economy.

Erdogan's history of oppression

In 2017, Erdogan pushed through a controversial referendum that turbo-charged the presidency, shoehorned him into it, and abolished the office of prime minister. This allowed him enormous influence over the judiciary. From there, it was a short path to anti-terrorism laws silencing dissent and criminalizing protests; to election irregularities and voter suppression; and to interference with opposition campaigns. As part of that strategy, he has ensured that the media is mostly either state-controlled or owned by cronies.

This level of oppression has both created the need for international adventurism (to distract the downtrodden public) and enabled it (since criticism is muted). So Turkey has adopted a more aggressive foreign policy, which has led to tensions and conflicts with neighbors.

Turkey has conducted multiple military operations in northern Syria, targeting Kurdish groups (backed by the West) which it considers “terrorist organizations.” In Iraq, Turkish military forces have frequently crossed into northern Iraq to target Kurdish bases. 

Turkey’s assertive claims and drilling in disputed areas of the Eastern Mediterranean have escalated tensions with Greece and Cyprus (the Mediterranean island whose north is occupied by Turkey – with the rest of it a European Union member).

Turkey also provided military support to the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya – one of the rival authorities in that chaotic country. And it offered arms supplies and political cover to the authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, in its aggression toward the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh; last fall, Baku attacked the long-autonomous enclave, sparking the panicked flight of all the 120,000 ethnic Armenians who lived there.

Interestingly, in his statement on Sunday, Erdogan hinted at more direct involvement in those conflicts than had been believed, saying: “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similarly to them.”

Turkey has also spread disinformation to influence public opinion in neighboring countries, ignored international court rulings, and supported Islamist groups in the region, creating friction with countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It is seen by the moderate elements in the region as a destabilizing force.

REGARDING NATO, Turkey has taken several actions that have strained and undermined the relationship. These include acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which led to US sanctions and to its expulsion, at great cost, from the F-35 stealth fighter program (as the S-400 is incompatible with NATO’s integrated defense systems and could be used to gather intelligence on NATO aircraft). Turkey has occasionally blocked NATO defense plans, particularly those concerning the Baltic states and Poland, and tried to block the recent accession to NATO of Sweden and Finland.

Its unilateral military actions in Syria have complicated NATO’s efforts in the region, particularly in the fight against ISIS. Frequent violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters by Turkish military aircraft and naval vessels have heightened tensions with that fellow NATO member. It has also upset NATO member France, with disputes in the Mediterranean near Libya.

Turkey has pursued energy projects that bypass traditional NATO allies, such as the TurkStream pipeline with Russia. And, in what may be the most potent issue for Europeans, it has used as leverage the threat of allowing large numbers of Mideast refugees to cross into Europe, fueling far-Right politics across the continent.

So, what to do?

When a NATO member exhibits behavior that undermines the alliance’s principles and unity, NATO has several options beyond the obvious route of quiet diplomacy to get the member in line.

It could implement economic sanctions against key individuals and entities within the rogue regime – such as asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on financial transactions. It can suspend military aid, funding, and training programs provided by NATO to the member state. It can withhold, or limit, participation in joint exercises and operations, reducing the rogue state’s influence. It can temporarily suspend the member state from participating in key NATO committees and decision-making bodies.

Expulsion would be an extreme scenario for which there are no clear procedures – though a unanimous decision among members should be enough. 

That is not a great outcome, because the West prefers Turkey on-side for its strategic location, military capabilities, and perhaps especially for the use of the Incirlik Air Base. But there may be some leverage in the very threat, as Turkey benefits from NATO membership too, through security guarantees, diplomatic and military clout, and economic ties.

The current situation cannot be tolerated.

To understand the implications, consider that NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense says an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. That would mean that if, in an edge-scenario, Turkey were at war with Israel, then Israel would in some way be at war with NATO. 

It’s safe to say that NATO does not want any part in such a scenario.

To cut this off, it must take action now.

The writer is the former chief editor of The Associated Press in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, a columnist for The Forward and the author of two books about Israel. Follow his newsletter “Ask Questions Later” at danperry.substack.comda.

Mining powerhouse Australia to tighten up exploration rules

Bloomberg News | July 31, 2024

Fortescue Solomon project. Image from Fortescue.

Australia — one of the world’s most important mining nations — is planning to tighten rules that govern how companies announce their exploration results, with a revised code for listed companies including industry leaders BHP Group Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group.


A draft of the new code published on Thursday would impose additional environmental requirements, plus a need for qualified experts to sign off on estimates of minerals and metals to be mined. The tweaked JORC Code — or Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves — will require ministerial approval before coming into force.

“It puts the handbrake on companies making up their own terminology and definitions,” Steve Hunt, JORC committee chair, told Bloomberg. “There’s always a tendency for companies to talk up, as best they can, their investment opportunities. This code provides technical guardrails.”

Australia has a vast mining industry, with players large and small seeking to exploit the nation’s trove of mineral resources including iron ore, gold, and copper, as well materials central to new-energy technology such as lithium. The JORC Code has its roots in the 1970s, when thousands of investors lost billions after a mining company falsified exploration results, then collapsed. It was first published in 1989 and last updated more than a decade ago.

Under the planned changes — which, when adopted, will apply to all locally-listed miners — a company will need to acknowledge publicly any environmental risks to their projects. In addition, a qualified professional, with experience in mining, is required for the technical sign off on a project, and must now display their credentials publicly.

The framework not only sets benchmark standards for Australian-listed miners, but also for companies listed on some overseas exchanges in the region, including the New Zealand Stock Exchange and Papua New Guinea’s Port Moresby Exchange. Further afield, the JORC code is also comparable to Canada’s own version.

“To the extent that any proposals impact on the Listing Rules and our guidance, our main interest will be that the changes continue to encourage strong and consistent disclosure on our market of mining exploration results and estimates of resources and reserves,” a spokesperson for the Australian Securities Exchange told Bloomberg.

No mining entity listed on the exchange will be exempt from the changes, which are expected to take effect next year, according to Hunt. Stakeholders will be consulted over the coming weeks.

(By Paul-Alain Hunt and Georgina McKay)

NexGen raises cost of Canadian uranium project to $1.6 billion

Bloomberg News | August 1, 2024 | 

NexGen’s Rook I project. Credit: NexGen Energy

NexGen Energy Ltd. raised the cost to build its flagship uranium mine in northern Canada, citing inflationary pressures and engineering expenses in a remote region.


The company’s Rook I project in Saskatchewan will now cost $1.6 billion, up from an earlier estimate of $940 million, NexGen said in a Thursday statement. Rook I is seen as one of the best uranium projects in development, but the company has yet to secure financing to build it.

NexGen is advancing talks with “various prospective financing entities” including commercial lenders, export credit agencies and alternative sources to secure financing for the project, the company said in the statement. The Vancouver-based firm said it is receiving interest in “significant” new sources of potential project financing.

NexGen is one of several firms racing to develop uranium projects in Saskatchewan’s uranium-rich Athabasca region, which has become a hub of mining activity as the world warms to nuclear power.

While uranium prices have rallied as supply concerns escalate, only a handful of companies actually operate mines for the radioactive metal. Rook I, one of the biggest projects, would account for about 13% of the entire global uranium supply, according to Bank of Nova Scotia.

NexGen shares fell as much as 9.7% on Thursday in Toronto to a low of C$8.31, its biggest intraday decline since May.

Uranium stocks fell broadly following updated guidance from Kazakhstan’s Kazatomprom, the world’s top producer, that indicated it will boost output of the nuclear reactor fuel.

(By Jacob Lorinc)

First Nation group in Yukon calls for change in Victoria Gold management

Reuters | August 1, 2024 | 

Eagle gold mine. Credit: Victoria Gold Corp.

A First Nation group has asked the Yukon government to initiate steps to remove the management of Victoria Gold Corp, citing failure of the top executives to contain the environmental damage caused by the company’s Eagle gold mine.


The mine, located in land belonging to First Nation groups of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun (FNNND), has been under the scanner since June when the company halted operations due to a operational failure leading to cyanide contamination at the site.

“The reality is that Victoria Gold cannot rectify the environmental damage caused by this event,” said FNNND Chief Dawna Hope. “They have been failing to take the remediation actions directed by the Yukon government.”

Victoria Gold did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

(By Divya Rajagopal; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Glencore’s billionaire ex-oil head charged with corruption

Bloomberg News | August 1, 2024 | 

Alex Beard. Image from Glencore.

Alex Beard, the billionaire former head of oil at Glencore Plc (LON:GLEN), was charged with corruption by the UK’s top fraud agency, alongside four other ex-employees from the commodities trader.


Beard, 56, who was one of Glencore’s top executives for more than a decade before his departure in 2019, is the highest profile individual to be charged in a sweeping series of investigations into corruption and market manipulation at the company – and one of the most senior commodity traders ever to be charged with wrongdoing.

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office accused Beard of conspiring to make corrupt payments to benefit Glencore’s oil operations in West Africa. The agency alleges he conspired to make the payments to government officials and employees of state owned oil firms in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014, and Cameroon between 2007 and 2014.

Also facing criminal prosecution is Andy Gibson, 64, Glencore’s ex-head of oil operations and for years Beard’s second in command. The SFO charged him with four conspiracies of making corrupt payments in Nigeria and Cameroon between 2007 and 2014, and Ivory Coast between 2007 and 2010. He was also alleged to have conspired to falsify invoices between 2007 and 2011.

Additionally, Paul Hopkirk, Ramon Labiaga and Martin Wakefield, former Glencore employees involved in trading West African oil, stand accused of conspiring to make corrupt payments to government officials and employees at state owned oil companies in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Wakefield is separately charged with one conspiracy to falsify documents between 2007 and 2011.

All the men are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Sept. 10. Lawyers for Beard and Gibson declined to comment. Lawyers for the other men didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Today’s action is an important step toward exposing overseas corruption and holding those who are responsible to account,” Nick Ephgrave, director of the Serious Fraud Office, said Thursday.

Glencore in 2022 pleaded guilty to corruption and market manipulation cases in the US and UK, admitting that it had paid bribes to win business in eight countries from Brazil to South Sudan and paying about $1.5 billion to resolve the investigations against it.

“Glencore cooperated with the SFO in its investigation into this past conduct and resolved its SFO investigation in 2022,” a Glencore spokesperson said noting the charges. “We are committed to acting ethically and responsibly across all aspects of our business and have taken significant action towards building a best-in-class Ethics and Compliance Programme.”

Until his departure from Glencore in 2019, Beard was part of the inner circle of former chief executive Ivan Glasenberg as one of a dozen department heads who made up Glencore’s management board. After working at BP Plc, he joined in 1995, becoming head of oil in 2007 and was known for his acumen trading Russian oil. When the company listed in London in 2011 he was revealed to be one of its largest shareholders with a stake worth $2.8 billion.

After leaving Glencore he started an investment company, Adaptogen Capital, to invest in large-scale batteries connected to the UK grid. He has been a major donor to Christ Church college at Oxford University and a trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London. His net worth was estimated at £1.2 billion in the latest Sunday Times Rich List.

Beard’s role at Adaptogen Capital ended on July 12, according to a filing at Companies House.

“Alex Beard is no longer a director of the company having resigned in July 2024,” a spokesperson for Adaptogen said on Thursday. “It remains business as usual at Adaptogen.”

(By Jack Farchy, Jonathan Browning and Katharine Gemmell)

Workers at BHP’s Escondida mine in Chile reject contract offer, union says

Reuters | August 1, 2024 | 

Escondida mine in Chile. (Image courtesy of BHP)

Workers at BHP’s (ASX: BHP) Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, rejected an offer for a new collective bargaining agreement, setting the stage for a potential strike, the union said on Thursday.


A total of 2,371 workers, or about 99.75% of union members, voted in favor of the strike. In a statement, the union said the call for a strike was “overwhelmingly backed by partners” that saw the offer made “no legitimate progress towards worker goals.”

The union reiterated its demand for 1% of dividends to distribute equally among workers and said the current offer by the company also extended work days and cut benefits.

The statement said the current offer uses “one-time bonuses that try to hide the definitive loss of conditions.”

Chilean legislation lets either party call for five days of government mediation, extendable by another five days if both parties agree, to avert a strike.

In a statement, BHP said it would request government mediation in “the coming days” and hopes to reach “an agreement compatible with worker aspirations and Escondida’s future sustainability.”

BHP owns more than half of Escondida, along with Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and JECO Corp.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Alexander Villegas, Brendan O’Boyle and David Gregorio)

 

TSB Report Raises Concerns Over Canada’s Response to Maritime Emergencies

Fire broke out on the containership after it experienced a parametric roll (USCG photo)

Published Jul 31, 2024 5:07 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The Transport Safety Board of Canada, the independent agency that looks to improve safety, issued its report on the 2021 container loss and fire on the Zim Kingston raising concerns about the country’s ability to respond to maritime emergencies. While efforts are already underway to strengthen Canada’s capabilities, the board expresses concerns about the gaps in the interim saying the environment, health, and safety are at risk when the emergency exceeds the capabilities of a vessel’s crew.

The 118-page report highlights that “fortuitous circumstances,” and the effectiveness of the crew and shipping line in its response, which included specialists that provided guidance and resources, prevented what could have been a far worse situation. The report led the board to issue two safety notices, one pointing to the cause of the incident as parametric rolling, and the second about the potential deficiencies in Canada’s preparedness. 

“The occurrence involving the Zim Kingston demonstrated some of the challenges involved in responding to a marine emergency in Canadian waters. It also raised questions about the availability and capability of Canadian resources to do so,” writes the Transport Safety Board of Canada (TSB). They are calling for a “careful look at Canada’s preparedness.” In its analysts, TSB highlights this incident was contained at sea but other events might happen in port creating greater risks. 

The Zim Kingston (50,782 dwt with a capacity of 4,253 TEU) was forced to wait off British Columbia due to port congestion on October 21, 2021. The report says the captain was requesting an anchorage but the vessel remained drifting about 27 nautical miles south of Ucluelet, British Columbia while experiencing a strong gale. At 10:30 p.m. local time the vessel was encountering 15-to-20-foot seas when it rolled 36 degrees from port to starboard due to what they have now determined as a parametric condition. The vessel lost approximately 11 percent of its deck cargo (109 containers).

Extensive research was conducted on the parametric condition and they found the vessel’s master and bridge were not well briefed on the phenomenon. The first safety notice focuses on improving vessel handling and crew awareness of the situation, similar to extensive efforts also underway in other parts of the industry after high-profile container losses at sea.

After the loss of the containers, the vessel was permitted to move to an anchorage. Around 36 hours later, while the vessel was anchored off Victoria, BC, a fire broke out in a damaged container that held dangerous goods (potassium amyl xanthate). The fire then spread to five nearby containers, two of which also held xanthates and three of which held tires and other consumer items. Canadian resources assisted the crew and a private response team, but the vessel was largely evacuated and the fire burned for five days before it was declared extinguished.

“The on-board fire response followed industry and company guidelines and was conducted in an efficient manner,” concludes TSB. They however note that the fire exceeded the capacity of the crew and vessel to respond, and required outside assistance. The response was deemed “efficient” and prevented the spread to larger parts of the vessel or a wider disaster.

“It also raised questions about the availability and capability of Canadian resources,” however warns the board. They point out that the Canadian Coast Guard under its mandate does not directly participate in marine fire suppression activities as part of an incident response, nor does it have fire suppression capabilities to directly respond to a vessel fire. They also highlight that Canada unlike the United States, does not require pre-arranged plans for fire response or marine salvage.

“Canada’s preparedness for other types of marine emergencies, such as occurrences involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) is also a concern,” warns the board. “Canada does not have a plan for how to respond to occurrences involving HNS, although it does have a plan for occurrences involving oil.”

The Canadian federal government has started an effort to improve preparedness for hazardous and noxious substances, including the development of a single national system to respond to marine pollution incidents. However, TSB notes implementation is not expected till 2027.

Transport Canada is also developing regulations to require emergency response arrangements. They anticipate this will include requirements that vessels have arrangements for firefighting and salvage services and have available specialists to work with federal and other resources in a response.  However, they warn this could take four years and is not expected to be in place till 2028. TSB is calling for the efforts to be expedited as part of more urgent and effective actions to address marine emergencies in Canadian waters.

The board highlighted the long-lasting impact of these incidents using the Zim Kingston as an example. A total of 1,490 tonnes of cargo was lost overboard from the containership, yet only 48 tonnes were recovered during a short-term clean-up effort. Four containers were found on Vancouver Island a month later and 29 were located on the ocean floor. Debris washed up on the shores and even in January 2024 more debris washed ashore. They conclude that the containers lost from the Zim Kingston while likely sunk continue to release their contents into the environment.

Five People Rescued After $8 Million 'Superyacht' Capsizes in Chesapeake Bay

Stacey Ritzen
Thu, August 1, 2024 

A superyacht worth approximately $8 million sank after capsizing in the Chesapeake Bay near Washington, D.C. over the weekend, leading the dramatic rescue of five passengers who were forced to jump overboard.

The incident occurred about a half-mile offshore at the mouth of the West River, when the 122-foot Sanlorenzo motor yacht named "Lovebug" suddenly ran aground just after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Lovebug, which docks at the nearby Annapolis Yacht Club and costs $125,000 per week to charter, was last sold for $7,995,000 in 2021, Boat International reports. The vessel accommodates 11 guests and seven crew and features a sundeck with a small swimming pool and a bar, among other amenities.

Aerial drone footage shows the Lovebug on its starboard side, partially submerged in the water. It reportedly took only minutes for the yacht to sink, while the U.S. Coast Guard rushed to the scene.

Trevor Hardman, who works with Tour Boat Annapolis, told CBS News Baltimore that he was on a friend's nearby boat when he saw the Lovebug start to go under.

"As we tried to figure out what part of the boat we were looking at, we realized it slowly started to list and lean over to one side," Hardman recalled. "I would say within four to five minutes the boat was consumed and the captain had made the determination that they needed to abandon ship."

"They did have to abandon ship and they did go in the water off the stern of the boat," he continued. "It could have been a lot worse had everybody not remained calm and spoke on the radio and were clear to make sure that everybody was accounted for. That was my number one priority: How many people are onboard, many people are in the water, who do we have, who do we not have. It was a joint effort."

Hardman noted that there was no shortage of nearby boaters waiting to help and that the local boating community came together to provide assistance. "It's something you don't find everywhere these days," he said.

Once everyone was safely rescued, Hardman spoke to the captain, who also didn't seem to know what had occurred.

"In the moment, I was like. 'Did you run aground?' He was like, 'No, but I was headed this way. We were taking on water,'" he explained. "Boats of that size have alarms that tell you when there's water inside the boat. They were ear piercing to be able to hear those high-water alarms going off."

Incredibly, there were no injuries reported. One person who had been onboard complained of head soreness but declined to be taken to the hospital.

Pollution response teams with the U.S. Coast Guard worked with a local salvage company to deploy oil boom barriers around the yacht to contain any possible fuel spills and mitigate the environmental impact. It's believed that all of the fuel was contained, and the next step is recovering the ship.

"The biggest thing now is just to get the vessel salvage so that we can hopefully get some clues as to what happened," said Maryland Natural Resources Police Cpl. Christopher Neville. "Once everybody was secured, it was just a matter of placing the safety protocols around the boat to keep out contaminants and trying to follow up with the captain and owner of the vessel."

Resolve Completes the Defueling of Grounded $3M Yacht

Courtesy USCG

Published Aug 1, 2024 6:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Resolve Marine and subcontractor Clean Harbors have finished emptying the fuel tanks of the 74-foot sailing yacht Obsession, which went aground on an environmentally-sensitive reef just off Culebra Island, Puerto Rico on July 21.   

The bulk fuel removal recovered about 800-1,500 gallons of diesel from the yacht's four tanks and day tank. The pollution prevention response is still "far from over," according to Capt. Luis Rodriguez, Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator, but the completion of the removal of most of the diesel is a significant step towards protecting the environment. Luckily, the boat's fuel tanks were not damaged by the grounding, and no water pollution has been reported. The responders are still working to identify and remove any remaining petroleum and other potentially-damaging materials.

The reef is home to many protected species, and the grounding prompted an emergency consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on possible Endangered Species Act impacts. The unified command has had to consider and manage potential effects on four species of sea turtle, two shark species, and seven species of coral. 

A reef damage assessment is under way, thanks to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and NOAA. The two agencies have recovered several species of live coral that can be used to repopulate the damaged area later if needed. 

Soon after the grounding, the owner informed the Coast Guard that the salvage project would require "efforts which exceeded his capacity." After learning this, the USCG quickly federalized the response, tapped the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF), and hired Resolve Marine to defuel the boat. (Under OPA 90, the vessel owner may still be billed for the Trust Fund cleanup cost and fined for any pollution after the response is done.)

The unified command continues to work with the owner on plans to remove the vessel from the reef. In the meantime, a salvage company vessel will remain on site, along with the project manager and the yacht's captain, in order to monitor the wreck's condition and change out any sorbents as necessary.  

The vessel can be identified as the Sunreef 74 Obsession, a 2015-built luxury catamaran sailing yacht with modern amenities. It was up for sale as recently as 2022 for an asking price of $3 million.   

Burned Cruise Boat Spirit of Norfolk to be Reefed off Florida

Spirit of Norfolk during salvage efforts (Courtesy USCG)

Published Jul 31, 2024 8:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The burned-out harbor cruise boat Spirit of Norfolk will be cleaned out and will be sunk off the Gulf Coast of Florida as an artificial reef. 

Spirit of Norfolk has been sold to Okaloosa County, Florida along with a second decommissioned vessel - the tug Skippin Sue - for a total of $740,000. Together, the two vessels will be sunk off Fort Walton Beach, where they will be a fish habitat and a dive attraction.

Okaloosa County has worked for years to buy and sink end-of-life tonnage off Fort Walton, creating new opportunities (and new revenue) for dive tour operators. The funding for the latest project comes from $900,000 in savings accrued by the county's commission during previous reefing ventures. The military picked up the cost of sinking the boats Crimson White and Countess Monarch, and two neighboring counties decided to split the cost of reefing the disused research vessel Deep Stim III. This left  surplus funding available, which the commission agreed to use to pay for an all-inclusive contract to acquire, clean and sink Spirit of Norfolk.

The Spirit of Norfolk's engine room caught fire while under way on June 7, 2022. Good Samaritan vessels responded to the scene and helped evacuate all 91 passengers and 17 crewmembers safely, drawing accolades for the speed and skill of their efforts. The vessel was towed to a nearby pier, where the fire continued to burn for four days, consuming all deck levels. It was written off as a total loss at a cost of $5 million.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the fire likely started in combustible materials that had been stored next to the port side generator's exhaust pipe, and that firefighting efforts may have contributed to the later expansion of the blaze. 

As an attraction, Spirit of Norfolk will serve the area well, according to the county board. From keel to top deck, she will rest 40 feet above the seabed, plus another 16 feet of mast height - giving divers plenty to explore. 

Neighboring Escambia County has ambitions to buy and sink a far larger vessel - the storied transatlantic liner SS United States, the fastest vessel of her type ever to serve the New York-UK route. 

Poisonous Stowaway Spiders Cause U.S. Ro/Ro to be Quarantined in Germany

HERE COMES THE ARACHNOPHOBIA HORROR MOVIE

ARC Commitment is quarantined due to an infestation of poisonous black widow spiders (ARC file photo)

Published Jul 31, 2024 3:02 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Nearly two weeks after arriving in Bremerhaven, Germany, an American-flagged Ro/Ro used to transport supplies for the U.S. government remains under quarantine after an unwelcome stowaway was found aboard. The Arc Commitment (31,143 dwt) is reporting an infestation of the poisonous black widow spider discovered on two decks of the vehicle transport when it arrived in Europe earlier in the month.

According to port officials in Bremerhaven, the master of the vessel reported a possible infestation before the vessel docked on July 17 arriving from Poland. While in Gdansk, the vessel had been treated for spiders, but a Bremerhaven official said they apparently did not kill all of them.

As a precaution, German officials ordered an inspection of the vehicle transport when it arrived. According to media reports, when they moved a container, a spider was seen scurrying away. The vessel was put into lockdown with two decks where they believe the spiders are were sealed. Reports said the crew is safe and has remained aboard the vessel because they are isolated from the cargo areas and the two decks can be sealed airtight.

Teams that were brought aboard have been able to capture one of the spiders which was sent off to a lab to confirm its species. The black widow spider is venomous and its bites cause illness and extreme pain to humans and in some cases with children, the elderly, or the infirm, a bit can actually be deadly. 

The vessel which was built in 2011 was transferred to the U.S. flag at the end of 2021 and entered into the Maritime Security Program (MSP). The privately-owned vessels provide sealift capacity and support to the military and other federal agencies. American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group, a division of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, operates the vessel as part of a fleet for the MSP and highlights it can transport wheeled vehicles, helicopters, and other high and heavy project cargoes.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen said that it suspects the poisonous spiders got aboard while the Arc Commitment was loading in Beaumont, Texas. Media reports highlight it is a race against time to capture the spiders because a female can lay up to 200 eggs at a time.

German officials ordered the vessel transferred to a remote part of the port. Starting last Friday, July 26, exterminators with special equipment were beginning to fumigate the vessel. In the second stage, they will use specialized equipment to vacuum up the spiders. Only after the vessel has been certified as cleaned will they permit cargo unloading to resume. Reports are the fumigation and cleaning process could take up to three weeks.